Driving to Cabo San Lucas, Baja Sur, Mexico

Although the majority of visitors to Cabo San Lucas arrive by airplane, there are more and more adventurous travelers who choose to make the incredible journey to the tip of the peninsula by road. Just over 1,000 miles from the US border, the road trip to Cabo San Lucas can be the experience of a lifetime. We encourage all Baja enthusiasts who have the time and sense of adventure to make the journey at least once, but we also need to alert all travelers that this is also a dangerous highway that needs to be treated with the utmost caution and respect.

The Transpeninsular Highway or Mexico 1 was completed in 1973. The two lane (one lane in each direction) highway was designed to accommodate two passing semi-trucks heading in opposite directions with hardly any extra room to spare on either side. Today, the highway remains the same narrow width, and for most of the journey there is little to no shoulder. Although thousands of tourists safely make the Transpeninsular trip with their RVs or full size trucks towing large 5th wheel trailers, you will need to be incredibly cautious if you plan to make the drive with a large rig.

The speed limit for most of the two lane portions of Mexico 1 is just under 50 mph (80 kilometers per hour), and it is highly recommended that you do not exceed this speed. Mexico 1 is about as dangerous as it is beautiful, so don't plan on setting any speed records. It is also strongly recommended that you break up the 1,000 mile trip into at least three days of travel and DO NOT DRIVE MEXICO 1 AFTER DARK! Please see: Driving in Mexico Safety Tips, Mexico Fuel, Baja Driving Distances, Military Checkpoints, Topes, for further information.


More info on Cabo activities and places to stay listed below!

Cabo San Lucas Road Map